Phys Ed Teacher Salary

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PE teachers provide learning experiences that meet the developmental needs of their students while applying standards-based educational programs that ensure all students are learning to cooperate with others and develop positive social skills.

Physical education teacher salaries are determined by individual school districts, but vary based mostly upon experience. However, a number of other factors play a part in determining a physical education teacher’s salary, such as geographic location, grade level, and the level of degree they hold.

PE Teacher Salaries By State

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

PE Teacher Salaries According to Level of Education

One of the most significant differences in physical education teacher salaries comes not only as a result of experience, but also as a result of the degree they hold.

New York City schools, for example, starts teachers off at $45,530; however, teachers with additional education beyond a bachelor’s degree earn higher salaries:

PE Teacher Salary Data According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that as of May 2012, high school teachers in the United States earned a median annual salary of $55,050, with the top 10 percent in the field earning more than $85,000.

The BLS reported that kindergarten teachers earned a median annual salary of $50,120 during the same time, with the top 10 percent earning more than $78,000.

Elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $53,400, with the top 10 percent earning more than $83,000.

The BLS reported that coaches earned a median annual salary of $28,360, as of May 2012, although the top 10 percent in this profession earned more than $65,000. Coaches in schools providing instruction at the state, local, and private levels earned a median annual salary of $26,090 during the same period.

The median annual salary for middle school teachers was $53,430 in May 2012, with the top 10 percent earning more than $82,190.

PE Teacher Salary Data According to the National Association of Colleges
and Employers

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2014 annual salary summary, new teacher graduates earned an average starting salary of $40,863.

Two-thirds of respondents reported that teachers with physical education/coaching degrees earned an average starting salary of $43,700, making them the highest paid teaching graduates, according to the 2014 survey.

Physical education teachers even managed to edge out special education majors, who reported an average salary of $43,000 during the same period.

PE Teacher Salary Data According to the National Education Association

According to the National Education Association’s (NEA) Collective Bargaining/Member Advocacy Teacher Salary Database, the average starting salary for teachers in the United States was $36,141 as of December 2013.

The NEA also reported salaries across the U.S., with teachers in Washington D.C. earning the highest salary, at $51,539, followed by Alaska, at $44,166; New Jersey, at $48,631; and Connecticut, at $42,924.

In the southern United States, Louisiana teachers received the highest starting salary, at $38,655, while the state with the highest starting salary in the northeast was New York, at $43,839.

California topped the western states for starting teaching salaries, at $41,259, while Wyoming was the highest amongst the northwestern states, at $43,269.